Visit our e-newsletter archive -- February 28, 2015

Access our monthly email newsletters in their original form back to January 2013. There's a wealth of tasty vegan recipes, news summaries of import, and much more. Simplyclick here or access our Newsletters link down the left side of our front page anytime. If you wish to subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter, send a blank email to subscribe@TheVegetarianSite.com

Our new 90-Day Holiday-Friendly Return Policy -- October 21, 2014

If you're among the 40% of Americans who begin their holiday shopping in October, you'll be happy to hear about our new 90-day return policy. Order today and there's still plenty of time to return or exchange any items after the holidays. So it's already a great time to buy that perfect gift, such as fair labor men's or women's vegan shoes, belts, bags/accessories, and clothing.

It's not vegan if it contains sucralose or Splenda -- September 15, 2014

A number of online stores are advertising food items as vegan or including them in their vegan sections, even if these foods contain sucralose or Splenda. Sucralose was created in the laboratory and patented in 1976. The major brand name of this artificial sweetener is Splenda, although now that it is off patent, several other brand names have emerged, and many food products simply list the generic sucralose in the ingredients. (Since pure sucralose is so sweet, it usually ends up at the end of the ingredient list.) Sucralose was heavily tested on animals, including dogs, in order to establish its safety for successfully bringing it to market in the USA, Europe, and elsewhere. Some manufacturers have reduced the sugar content of their products but maintained the same sweetness by adding sucralose. It's not only reduced-calorie junk foods (packaged snack foods, candy, cookies, syrups, chewing gum, soda, etc.) that contain sucralose. Sucralose is finding its way into mainstream dairy-free foods such as some brands of soy milk, tea, canned fruit, fruit spreads, salad dressing, breakfast cereal, etc. There is simply no room for sucralose in a cruelty-free diet.

Summer Vegan Recipe Contest: $100 Shopping Spree! -- June 30, 2014

Have you created an original vegan recipe that's well suited for the summer? If so, we'd love for you to share it with us. You could win a $100 shopping spree at our online store! Any recipe that you submit will remain your property. Only the winning entry will be published by us, along with your implicit copyright. Please follow these simple rules: The recipe has to be your own original work, not a copy or slightly modified recipe by someone else. Please include a statement in your submission email indicating that the recipe is your original work along with your full legal name right below it.Your recipe must be submitted to us by July 31, 2014 via email to contest@TheVegetarianSite.com. By submitting your recipe, you agree that if you are the winner we may publish your recipe, your name, and your state or province. Thank you for participating!

Building muscle with non-GMO soy -- April 19, 2014

April is National Soy Foods Month, and with summer approaching soon, it's a perfect time to think about adding some lean muscle with weight/resistance training and this proven protein source. Classic aesthetic bodybuilders and modern natural bodybuilders & fitness competitors alike have used non-GMO soy to help build their
impressive physiques. 1947 Mr. America and actor Steve Reeves used soy in his daily protein shakes, and Jack
Lalanne (in the image above) was a big proponent of consuming plenty of soy and little or no meat or dairy. He also had an amazing healthy life span, living to age 96.

More recently, there's natural bodybuilding champ Joe DeMarco, who used his soy-based vegan diet to win his
class in the NPC Masters Nationals Championships. Ella Magers, a vegan Fitness Universe competitor, has made organic soy a significant part of her daily protein intake. And "Tha Vegan Dread" Torre Washington is an IFPA pro bodybuilder who has used everything from soy protein shakes to protein bars and his favorite baked tofu meals to build muscle and stay super-lean!

What's worse than testing chemicals for beauty products on helpless animals? Testing on these animals and then deceiving customers into believing that you're cruelty-free. Yes, this is exactly what a number of major cosmetics and personal care products companies are doing today. Very few companies conduct animal testing in-house; they outsource it. Such companies carefully construct their written animal testing policies for the public, but behind the facade animals are suffering and dying for the sake of skin-deep human beautification.

What wording to look out for? "We're fully committed to ending all animal testing" (translation: We're currently testing on animals, but someday we'll stop), or "Our final products are NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS" (translation: one or more ingredients was tested on animals), or "We test on animals only when required by law" (translation: We've chosen to introduce new, possibly unsafe chemicals and/or we've chosen to introduce our products into countries that legally require animal testing -- therefore we agree to pay for animal testing). It's the latter case that has become a serious problem. Companies such as Avon, Mary Kay, Estee Lauder (note their many brands), and others have lost their cruelty-free status because they have chosen to partake in the lucrative Chinese market, a country that is currently requiring animal testing. Hence, each of these companies quietly made the choice to put profits above animals and agreed to animal testing. To make matters worse, China has an atrocious record of lab animal welfare.

Fortunately, many independent companies have not followed suit. So long as animal testing is a requirement, they will not offer their products for sale in China or any other such country. The companies that refuse to allow animal testing under all circumstances and do not use animal ingredients in their products are the only ones that deserve our support.

Arsenic in rice and rice-based foods: how serious? -- September 24, 2013

You may have read in the news recently that inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen, has been found in most rice and rice-based foods that have been tested by the FDA. The amount, typically a few micrograms per serving, is too small to cause any immediate harm, but the risks of consuming this amount of inorganic arsenic regularly and over the long term have not been determined yet. Consumer Reports, based on their own prior test results, takes the issue very seriously and advises eating only small amounts of rice or rice-based foods. In contrast, most producers of rice and rice-based cereals, snacks, beverages, etc. have downplayed the issued, arguing that many other foods beyond rice (including an array of fruits and vegetables) also contain arsenic, and that there is no evidence that the consumption of such foods is deleterious to one's health. However, the FDA indicates that rice is particularly vulnerable, because it is grown in water and easily takes up arsenic.

At this point, there are no recommendations that we eliminate all rice products from our diets, but it might be sensible to vary our choice in whole grains, cereals, snack foods, etc. Those following a gluten-free diet might be at greater risk, simply because so many gluten-free products today are based on rice flour. And rice-based foods are also very common for infants and toddlers. Concentrating a large part of one's diet on a single food has never been a good idea, and certainly rice is no exception.

Let us stop bashing healthy iceberg lettuce -- June 29, 2013

Poor iceberg lettuce gets no respect. It may well be the typical hamburger eater's favorite vegetable (other than the french fries with ketchup) and it's certainly the laughingstock of the lettuce world. It is true that a garnish of iceberg is no nutritional powerhouse. That's because it's composed mostly of water, but calorie-for-calorie it stacks up quite well. Used as a base for a good-sized salad, for instance, a couple cups of shredded iceberg (only about 20 calories) contains 45% of the DV (daily value) of Vitamin K, 15% DV Vitamin A, 10% DV folate, 75mg of Omega3 EFAs, and 15mg plant sterols. That's more Vitamin A and Omega3 than the caloric equivalent of broccoli (2/3 cup) and just as much folic acid. We are not for one second suggesting that you eat lettuce instead of broccoli, which is arguably the king of vegetables with its impressive nutritional profile. But yes, iceberg lettuce certainly counts as a legitimate serving of vegetables, provided that you eat a decent amount of it. [Source: USDA SR-21 database]

Emily Deschanel delivers the sad truth about dairy -- May 7th, 2013

Superficial dairy industry ads, with clever campaigns such as their "Happy Cows," have led some consumers to hold a false notion that dairy cows are living the good life. But nothing could be further from the truth. Emily Deschanel's new PSA quickly dispels the myths, as she exposes the brutality of this industry. Unfortunately, organic dairy is no solution to the cruelty, a fact that was detailed concisely in Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary's Milk comes from a grieving mother.

View our past e-newsletters online -- April 7th, 2013

If you missed one or more of our recent email newsletters, we've made them available online. Currently available are January 2013, February 2013, and March 2013. We're planning to offer more back-issues too. To subscribe to our e-newsletter, simply send a blank email to subscribe@TheVegetarianSite.com. If there's anything specific that you'd like to see us cover in the future, please do let us know.

Some dirt on a beloved "vegan" brand? -- March 4th, 2013

While Walmart surely deserves their current abysmal rating on animal welfare, there are many other companies that continue to fly under the radar. Surprisingly, Earth Balance/Smart Balance -- yes, it's the same company -- seems to have little regard for animal welfare. As verified with a recent call to their customer service department, they are still selling factory farmed Omega-3 specialty eggs, even though this product does not appear on their website. Their egg production is contracted out to Hidden Villa Ranch, a producer that also offers cage-free alternatives. So if they must sell eggs, why does Earth Balance/Smart Balance choose cages instead of going cage-free? Customer service had no immediate answers.

Helping
vs. harming turkeys this Thanksgiving --
November 3rd, 2012

We have a lot to be thankful for
this year as more Americans than ever are choosing to celebrate a cruelty-free
Thanksgiving. It certainly seems more true and honest to give thanks and to
show appreciation for all the good in our lives without causing harm
to turkeys or any other animals in the process. Indeed, we can play a particularly
positive role by helping, not hurting, these gentle and highly social animals.
You can help a turkey too by donating to Farm Sanctuary's Adopt
a Turkey Project. Let's turn Thanksgiving into a peaceful, nonviolent
holiday for all.

The Atkins Diet may have crashed
and burned last decade, but there is a new meat-heavy dietary fad that has
been gaining traction over the last couple of years. The Paleo Diet (a.k.a.
caveman diet) seeks to take human nutrition back more than 10,000 years to
pre-agricultural times in order for us to "regain our health." Does
it make sense to formulate the perfect diet plan for today based simply on
the very limited food choices available to our ancestors? Hmmm... the Paleo
Diet is a low-carb diet, with the bulk of calories coming from meat, fish,
and eggs, along with a variety of fruits and vegetables -- some are excluded,
if cavemen did not eat them. Also excluded from the diet are all dairy
products, all grains, and all beans and legumes. Like the Atkins
Diet, the Paleo Diet is an eco-unfriendly and animal-unfriendly
diet that can increase demand for animal products in this country if it is
adopted by a significant number of consumers.

Proponents assert that this diet
is the healthiest of all, because it is the way that nature intended for humans
to eat. But at its core, the Paleo Diet is on shaky ground, from both health
and anthropological standpoints. Adherents to the diet will benefit in that
they'll be steering clear of Dairy Queen and The Cheesecake Factory,
and virtually all other modern junk food. However, the Paleo Diet is particularly
high in saturated animal fats. Even if one is lucky enough to avoid the cardiovascular
health problems often associated with such high animal fat intake, he/she
will be ingesting an unusual share of unintended and long-lasting chemical
compounds (such as dioxins) stored in the body fat of animals. Coupled with
the carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs) produced when cooking meat, that fact is not something to take lightly.
In addition, healthy beans and legumes are never consumed on this diet,
because proponents insist that legumes are loaded with purported 'natural
toxins,' and cavemen did not eat legumes. They are ignoring a most important
nutritional study from 2004 in which it was found that high legume intake
is the most protective dietary predictor of survival amongst the elderly,
regardless of ethnicity (see "Legumes: the most important dietary predictor
of survival in older people of different ethnicities," Asia Pacific J.
Clin. Nutr. 2004; 13 (2):217-220). Paleo Diet proponents have similar arguments
for eschewing whole grains, because our ancestors did not consume them. But
wait, yes they did! That was detailed years ago in the highly regarded scientific
journal, Nature and elsewhere (see "Processing of wild cereal
grains in the Upper Palaeolithic revealed by starch grain analysis,"
Nature 2004; 430, 670-673). The 'Paleo Diet' -- nice sham, guys.

When
it comes to vegan foods, we like to keep it as real as possible! --
February 19th, 2012

As we continue to increase our
vegan food offerings, we want to keep it real. In fact, TheVegetarianSite.com
is the only online vegan
superstore to meet the same stringent food standards as Whole Foods Market
regarding unacceptable
ingredients. (In addition, we guarantee that all ingredients are vegan!)
Other vegan stores are selling a number of foods with artificial ingredients,
preservatives, trans fats, and/or additives. And most of these unacceptable
ingredients were actually tested on animals in order to obtain FDA approval
for human consumption. That's definitely something to keep in mind if you
strive for a cruelty-free lifestyle.

Are
there more American vegans in 2011 than in 2009? --
December 18th, 2011

A 2011
Harris Interactive poll commissioned by the Vegetarian Resource Group
indicates that approximately 2.5% of Americans are vegan (if "vegan"
status is also extended to those who consume honey), compared with a 2009
Harris Interactive poll that gave a result of 2.1%. With the popularity
of Meatless Mondays and news from the poultry industry that their sales are
down, these results are encouraging, and perhaps the number of vegans in America
is growing. A fair number of recent online articles and blogs have stated
so by citing the 2011 Harris poll, but in reality the statistical margin
of error in this poll is far too large to make such a statement. In 2009,
2397 individuals were polled. Given that sample size, the 2009 figure should
read 2.1 +/- 0.6% (at the 95% confidence level, the true percentage falls
between 1.5 and 2.7, assuming no systematic errors or biases). In 2011, a
significantly smaller number of individuals was polled. Given the sample size
of only 1010 individuals, the 2011 figure should read 2.5 +/- 1.0% (at the
95% confidence level, the true percentage likely falls between 1.5 and 3.5).
So according to the 2011 poll, the best we can say is that the number of
American vegans likely falls somewhere within the wide range of 4.5 and 10.5
million individuals, while the 2009 poll indicated that number fell between
4.5 and 8 million. The good news is that both polls point to quite a large
number of vegans. To reduce the margin of error, it would be very helpful
-- but also very expensive -- to take a much larger poll of, say, 20,000 individuals.
In that case, we would know the percentage to within +/- 0.2%, becauase the
margin of error scales as the inverse square root of the sample size. Please
contact us if you want the details of our statistical analysis.

The big candy brands, such as
Hershey, Nestle, and Mars are not taking responsibility for the unacceptable
labor practices of their suppliers. As articulated in a recent
article by Kristen Howerton, hundreds of thousands of children in West
Africa are enslaved to harvest the cocoa beans that end up in the full array
of popular Halloween chocolates, such as Snickers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups,
Butterfingers, M&M's, etc. And non-dairy dark chocolate certainly is not
in the clear either. You can avoid supporting child slave labor by choosing
Fair Trade chocolate and/or opting for non-chocolate Halloween candies or
snacks.

For
the sake of the animals, don't ever let someone criticize you for being a
vegan --
August 7th, 2011

While the vegan lifestyle has
become more mainstream in recent years, it's still falsely deemed "extreme"
by most. Never let anyone get away with an incident of criticizing you or
implying that you're an extremist (or a weirdo) for choosing a lifestyle that
reduces the amount of unnecessary suffering in the world. Rather, you know
that a meat-centered diet, which inflicts substantial pain and suffering on
other beings simply for one's culinary tastes, is an expression of extreme
selfishness. So who is the extremist?? OK, it is not advisable to seek out
confrontations on the issue, but it's certainly inappropriate
for you to allow a critical colleague or acquaintance to indulge in their
false notion about veganism just because you prefer to be overly polite or
diplomatic. If not for your self-respect, then for the sake of the animals,
don't pass up an opportunity to get some of the facts out. And you might suggest
that they learn some of these facts by pointing them to http://www.MeatVideo.com/
(warning: the truth is graphic and disturbing) or perhaps to
printed literature from Vegan Outreach or elsewhere. You may just plant a
seed, or you may not. But you should always feel good about trying. If you
don't speak up at all, then the incident is likely to be an affirmation of
your critic's uninformed viewpoint, and that's always bad.

Does
a natural plant-based source of Vitamin B12 exist for vegans? --
May 23rd, 2011

In case you haven't been paying
attention to the B12 debate over the last few decades, we should let you know
now that virtually all nutritional authorities recommend a reliable synthetic
B12 supplement for vegans and for many lacto-ovo vegetarians too. Supposed
natural sources of B12, such as spirulina, have been found to contain only
B12 analogues (which are inactive), and such analogues may even inhibit one's
absorption of true B12. Even the few known non-animal sources of the vitamin,
such as certain algae, are not considered to be sufficiently reliable. However,
a recent new study of Korean Buddhist vegetarians (The nutritional status
of iron, folate, and vitamin B-12 of Buddhist vegetarians, Lee Y, Krawinkel
M, et al, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2011) indicates that the consumption of
Korean laver, the most commonly consumed seaweed species in Korea, is responsible
for healthy B12 serum levels. The authors conclude that Korean laver can
be recommended as a good source of B12, because it has been shown to contain
substantial levels of true B12.

It has been derided by muscleheads
in the past, but soy protein is finally getting its due recognition as a muscle-building
powerhouse. Muscle & Body Magazine (Dec. 2010) states that soy
protein is 100% equal in lean muscle building as the whey, casein, and egg
proteins that are so popular among bodybuilders. "You will gain just
as much lean muscle mass from soy protein as any other protein." Dave
Hawk, former Mr. USA, Mr. World, and consultant to professional athletes,
explains further, "Soy also has no negative effect on testosterone levels.
A study by Miami Research Associates found that soy protein (both soy isolate
and concentrate) did not decrease blood testosterone levels or prevent men
from an increase in lean muscle mass. This study also demonstrated that soy
did not increase estrogen levels. This study, like many others, concluded
that soy protein builds lean muscle in men and is completely safe. Male athletes
and bodybuilders have been force-fed a lot of propaganda from anti-soy interests.
But as more studies emerge, findings continue to demonstrate that soy isolate
is a superior protein source for both men and women." So whether you
like your soy in the form of meat
analogs or nutrition
bars, your vegan muscles will benefit.

Animal
products creeping into some bars by CLIF --
January 15th, 2011

Once upon a time, you could be
a confident vegan and buy bars by CLIF without reading labels. But as of late,
some product additions have not been quite so vegan-friendly, including dairy
and/or honey. The original Clif Bars, originalLuna
Bars, andBuilder's
Bars are still safe (and still delicious), as are the new Clif
C Bars. However, none of the new Luna Protein Bar flavors is vegan,
and be sure to read ingredient labels on each of your favorite flavors of
Clif Crunch Bars, Kid
Zbars, and Mojo Bars, because some flavors are vegan and some are
not. Of course, all the flavors that we sell at TheVegetarianSite.com are
vegan, so no need to read labels here.

Thank
You for all your support during our 11th year! --
December 24th, 2010

We wish you the happiest of holidays
this year, and we thank you for all your support and for everything you do
for the animals all year long! Throughout this 11th holiday season for TheVegetarianSite.com,
we are open for business and shipping orders as usual.

Top
30 Vegan Gifts Under $30 --
November 23rd, 2010

Gearing up for this holiday season,
but on a budget? No worries, just take a look at our suggested
list of vegan gifts, all under $30, from vegetarian message t-shirts,
to non-leather accessories, to chocolate gift boxes, and everything in between.
And if you don't see what you need there, please visit our online
vegan store front for hundreds of other ideas.

Over
40 gluten-free vegan foods for you --
November 6th, 2010

From breakfast cereals to dinner
entrees, we now have over 40 gluten-free options in the new Gluten-Free
subsection of our Vegan Foods section. Do you have a favorite gluten-free
item that we don't yet carry in our online store? Let us know at shopping@TheVegetarianSite.com.

The Truvia brand of sweetener,
derived from stevia and produced by agribusiness giant Cargill, has been added
to the list of
brands that were tested on animals. In order to secure GRAS (Generally
Recognized As Safe) status from the FDA, Cargill revealed that they submitted
a number of safety studies on this product, including an animal study using
rats. Their Truvia sweetener is now widely available in supermarkets nationwide.
In addition, Coca Cola partners with Cargill and uses Truvia to sweeten some
of its diet soft drinks and Odwalla juices.

Review
of our hemp wallets by Modern Hippie Mag --
October 1st, 2010

We're happy to report that ModernHippieMag.com
posted a very
nice review of our high-quality hemp wallets a few days ago. These wallets
are eco-friendly, vegan, sweatshop-free, and durable too. What else could
you want in a wallet? Read
the review.

Diners
Club International credit card now accepted --
September 10th, 2010

In addition to the "major
four" (Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover) you now also
have the option to use your Diners Club credit card at our online
vegan store.

Now
you can follow us on Twitter too
-- August 7th, 2010

Yes, we have a brand new Twitter
account. So if you're interested in keeping up to date on everything from
veg-related news to special 24-Hour Sales at our online store, just
follow us on Twitter.

Why
is Tofutti still pushing trans fats?
-- July 22nd, 2010

Trans fats are widely known to
be even more detrimental to human health than the saturated fat in pure animal
lard or butterfat. That's why trans fats have been banned in some US cities.
So a visit to the Tofutti.com website is a rather surreal experience.
Under their Products section, you can read about their Better Than Cream
Cheese product, where they state among other things, "Now, you
have a healthy alternative that contains no dairy! The Better for you Cream
Cheese!" But read the product label online and you'll find that the
second ingredient (after water) is partially hydrogenated soybean oil,
which is loaded with trans fat. However, you wouldn't know it by their online
nutritional label, which shows 0 grams of trans fat per 2 tablespoon serving!
Just what is going on here? We wanted to find out, so we contacted them by
telephone a couple of years ago. We were told that, yes, 6 of their
7 cream cheese substitute products do contain trans fats, and that the 0 grams
shown on their website site is incorrect. They made very clear that they were
aware of the "problem." We contacted them again this year and received
a similar statement. So is Tofutti purposely deceiving the public into believing
that this very unhealthy product of theirs is actually healthy? Maybe they're
confusing the supermarkets as well: Some mainstream stores, such as Safeway,
display this trans fat-laden product in their special natural foods section!
Trader Joe's carries it too. Perhaps Tofutti needs many more phone calls from
the public -- or a call from the FDA -- to make the website change. Tofutti's
annual revenues are close to $20 Million, so they certainly should have the
resources to make some quick website corrections, if it's really just a mistake.
Right?

Our
Vegetarian Quote Contest is well underway
-- July 13th, 2010

We've been receiving a steady
stream of excellent quotes for our 2010
Vegetarian Quote Contest, including entries from a number of well-known
figures in the vegan and animal rights movement. But don't let that deter
you from entering! It's the quote that matters, not the prominence of the
individual who created it. One thing is for sure: it's already obvious to
us that choosing the winners is going to be a more difficult task than we
anticipated.

Saying
goodbye to Clif's award-winning Nectar Bars -- June 26th, 2010

Clif Bar has pulled the plug on
its Clif
Nectar Bar line of vegan fruit & nut bars. According to the company,
these bars started out strong a number of years ago -- they even won a Top
Pick award from Health.com -- but sales have been fading for a
while. We still have some flavors in stock, so rush over to our online
store if you like these bars!

The
demise of another fair labor sneaker factory
-- June 19th, 2010

We just heard the bad news from
Ethical Wares that the Italian sneaker factory that makes their high quality
men's
and women's
Motion Sneakers has shut down. Ethical Wares had contracted with that
fair labor factory for 15 years. Committed to ethically made footwear, they
are currently searching for another European factory to produce all their
sneakers. The prevalence of high-volume, low-wage Chinese sneaker factories,
used by many brands that masquerade as socially responsible or forward thinking
(such as Simple, Macbeth, IPath, People's Shoe, and others) has taken its
toll on fair labor factories worldwide.

If you're already subscribed,
but you didn't receive our May 2010 email newsletter, then you probably need
to give us a different email address. According to Website Magazine,
only 77% of bona fide email newsletters actually reach their intended destination.
7% end up in bulk/spam folders and 16% are blocked by overzealous (or overwhelmed)
email service providers. That's not a real surprise given the enormous amount
of unsolicited junk email that is constantly bombarding all of us. Do you
have a Yahoo.com or Hotmail.com email address? Both have occasionally
given us some trouble in the past, as have some smaller providers. Whatever
the case, check your bulk/spam folder. If our newsletter appears there, make
sure you label it as 'not spam' and also add us to your friends list. That
way our next newsletter should go directly to your inbox. But if there is
no sign at all of our May 2010 newsletter, the only solution may be for you
to offer us a different email address of yours altogether. Just send it to:
subscribe@TheVegetarianSite.com.
Our privacy policy is very simple: We will never sell, trade, or give your
email address to anyone. And if you're not yet familiar with our newsletter,
it offers recipes, news articles, upcoming events info, special features,
new products offerings, and sale updates. Subscribe today, it's free!

Is there any better hot weather
treat than a cold bowl of sweet vegan ice cream? Whether you like vanilla
or Fair Trade chocolate, stock up on your Temptation
vegan home ice cream mix so that you'll have it when you need it. Quick
and easy with absolutely no cooking required. All you need is your blender
and home
ice cream maker. Visit our online store for more info.

Some
customers asking about cold packs -- June 3rd, 2010

We've had a few customers ask
why we don't offer cold/ice packs for shipping food orders. As an eco-friendly
company, we have made the conscious choice not to use these disposable
packs. Although they're dirt cheap these days (a case of 96 3-oz. units is
$22 at ULINE), these chemical-gel refrigerant packs quickly end up in the
landfill. As an obvious corollary to this eco-philosophy, we have chosen not
to stock any commercial foods that would require continuous energy for their
refrigeration. Instead, all food items that we stock are shelf stable at room
temperature.